Chapter 04: Gateway
Chapter 04: Gateway is the fourth episode of the series. It is preceded by Chapter 03: Corridor and followed by Chapter 05: Water. Plot The candidates begin trapped in the dorms still. While looking for a way out, Marco reflects on his family history, as each of them have successfully passed the Process and made it to the Offshore. He organizes everyone to get food and pass the test, and the group succeeds with ease. Ezequiel is displeased that they all have passed, and he decides to modify the test, no longer sending food to see how the candidates react. Eventually, Marco and some other men fashion weapons out of the beds to pry open the gate, and when they realize that there's no way out, they (notably Marco) assume that the test will be a survival of the fittest type with limited supplies. The group of men then attack the others who sat around rather than trying to pry the gate, stealing their food and taking them prisoner. Marco loses it as the candidates try to hide food, killing a girl. Meanwhile Michele and friends build a barricade to keep Marco's group out, while Joana escapes from the test by climbing a vent. Ezequiel meets her and explains that only she can stop the test, as he will not. Joana returns, freeing the people whom Marco subjected. Everyone violently attacks Marco's group, beating and presumably killing a few. The gates open and the prisoners escape, minus everyone in Marco's group. Marco attempts to flee, but the door catches him, presumably killing him or seriously maiming him; either way, he is eliminated. Meanwhile, Aline is caught snooping through Ezequiel's things, and it is revealed that Rafael attempted the Process last year and failed, before stealing the registry of his unconscious brother to take the Process for a second time. He also reveals to Michele that he is a mole for the Cause as well. Summary Marco's life is revealed in a series of flashbacks. He was raised by a black maid hired by his parents to take care of him until he could take and pass the Process. All of his known family has passed, and they traditionally leave letters for their left behind children to read when they reach 20. Marco reads a letter from his parents, and writes a letter for his unborn child, entrusting it to the care of his heavily pregnant girlfriend. He believes that he is elite and meant to pass the Process because of his bloodline. The candidates are trapped in the dorms with minimal supplies; the dorms are set up like a maze with several corridors and passageways. Marco tests the walls and doors, looking for a way out. He investigates a chute leading into a corridor, with a computer screen next to it projecting a series of 1s and 0s that change every few minutes. He quickly notes that there are 8 levers in each room, heavy and hard to pull, to match the binary. Both the candidates and the watching proctors note how fast Marco has figured it out and how good he is so far at playing the games of the Process. Marco divides the candidates into two teams; one team runs the numbers to the rooms, where the second team await in groups to pull the levers. Marco watches from the chute, ordering them onward and encouraging them to go faster. Each time that they successfully complete a run, a package of food and water drops, but only enough to feed one person. At first the candidates bicker about who will get the food first. Marco suggests himself as he thought of the plan, revealing his selfishness, but the others quickly shoot it down. They argue angrily until Michele convinces the crowd that alphabetically is the fairest way. They work their way through the puzzle, completing binary code after binary code until everyone has eaten. When the candidates have been given enough food for everyone to have a single meal, they have technically completed the task. However, Ezequiel is angered that they have completed the task as a group without anyone being eliminated. He quickly adapts the test, refusing to drop any more food, just to see how the candidates will react. At first they persist in doing the binary test, before the candidates, led by Sonya, angrily give up when it yields no more food. Marco angrily insists that they must continue, as it's all just a test. The candidates mostly ignore him, walking away. Agata becomes mesmerized by the binary numbers, showing signs of still being affected by the hallucination tunnel. Suddenly, Ezequiel decides to drop all of the food that was in the chute. Everyone surges and fights for it, but Michele again acts as the voice of reason, convincing them to share it equally. Meanwhile, Aline is caught snooping through Ezequiel's room, but not before she manages to grab fingerprints off of the testing cube on his desk. Ezequiel confronts the council about sending a spy, particularly directing his anger at Councillor Mattheus. Mattheus is affronted by Ezequiel's fury, and he warns Ezequiel that he has crossed a line. Later, Mattheus lectures Aline on getting caught. A group of the strongest guys, led by Marco, attempt to pry open the exit with metal posts taken from the beds, but they realize that even though they have one side open, the other side is still closed. Additonally, the area between the two is apt to close at any minute, crushing anyone inside. Marco is the first to realize the test has changed. He believes that the test has become a survival of the fittest, and that they will be trapped in the dormitories for a long time. He convinces the rest of his bro-pack to take the food of those not helping escape. When the other candidates refuse to give up their food, Marco and his gang assault them. It soon leads to a full out attack. The gang drags girls by their hair and hits the males, forcing them into the tiny area between the two doors. Rafael is visibly uneasy by the actions of the gang, and he apologizes to the candidates stolen from. The proctors watching are also uneasy and request to stop the test, but Ezequiel persists. Fernando and the crew that passed the coin test create a barricade for their room to block the gang's advance, while Agata lies motionless near the food chute. Joana climbs her way out through the chute, using the shoes of Agata as gloves. She meets Ezequiel at the top, who shows her the cameras and gives her further insight to how the Process works. He tells her that only she can stop what's happening. Meanwhile, a group of candidates attempts to hide food from the gang. Marco strikes and kills Sonya for not apologizing well enough to him, and Rafael defects, telling Marco he's insane. The gang turns on Rafael, who flees to Michele's group's barricade. They refuse to let him in, until Rafael whispers to Michele that he is with the Cause. The gang begin tearing down the barricade, intending to kill all of Michele's group for disobeying. Joana rejoins the experiment, attacking the sole person guarding the other prisoners in the gateway. The rest of the candidates surge toward the gang, attacking, maiming, and killing most. An alarm sounds, and the gates open. Everyone runs to freedom, with the exception of the gang and Agata. Marco is not dead, however, and he begins crawling to the exit. Ezequiel observes this and presses a button to close the doors. Marco struggles in vain to escape, but the door crunches on him, causing him to howl in pain. The screen cuts away, and his fate is unknown. The rest of the candidates converge in a grassy, tree-filled plain in the middle of the facility. Category:Episodes Category:Season One